Mexican Scorpions Described between 2000 - 2023

 

Gerardo Contreras-Félix and José Navarrete-Heredia have recently published an article where they sum up all Mexican Scorpions Described between 2000 - 2023. In addition to listing up the species and their associated genera and family, the article also presents an overview of the journals that these articles appear in.

Abstract:
Patterns of descriptions of new species of Mexican scorpions between 2000-2023 were analyzed. We based our study on the Zoological Record of Web of ScienceTM. We found 111 species in seven families described in 83 papers published in scientific journals from all over the world. Families with the most species described were Vaejovidae (52), Buthidae (26), Diplocentridae (23), Euscorpiidae (4), and Typhlochactas (3). The species of Mexican scorpions were described in Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, Zootaxa, Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, and 19 other publications. We also comment on issues to consider when Zoological Record was used for analysis in this study.

Reference:
Contreras-Félix GA, Navarrete-Heredia JL. Mexican Scorpions Described between 2000 - 2023: Analysis from Zoological Records of Patterns, Trends, and Effects of Lockdown Over Descriptions. Southwestern Entomologist. 2024;49(1):100-19. [Subscription required for full text]

A new troglomorphic, leaf-dwelling species in the enigmatic genus Troglotayosicus from Colombia

 

The enigmatic and rare genus Troglotayosicus Lourenço, 1981 (Troglotayosicidae) is know from a a few locations in Colombia and Ecuador where they inhabit the leaf-litter on the ground. All species show troglomorphic characters. Little is known about the phylogeny and the biogeography of this fascinating genus.

Jairo Moreno-Gonzalez and co-workers have recently published an interesting article on the phylogeny of Troglotayosicus, and a new species from Colombia is described.

Troglotayosicus akaido Moreno-Gonzalez, Luna-Sarmiento & Prendini, 2024

The article has an identification key for the seven known species and a map of their known distribution.

Interestingly, one of the authors was stung by this species while collecting. The sting cause intense, local pain for 30 minutes, but no other serious symptoms. This is probably the first sting report for this family.

Abstract:
The troglomorphic scorpion genus Troglotayosicus Lourenço, 1981, occurs in hypogean and epigean habitats in the Andean and Amazonian rainforests of Colombia and Ecuador. The phylogenetic relationships among the species of Troglotayosicus are currently unknown. In the present contribution, a new species, Troglotayosicus akaido, sp. nov., is described from specimens collected in the leaf litter of a primary rainforest in the Colombian Amazon, near the border with Peru, raising the number of species in the genus to seven. The new species represents the easternmost record of the genus and further extends its distribution into the Amazon. Its phylogenetic position was tested in an analysis of all species of the genus and two outgroup taxa, scored for 131 morphological characters (16 new and 115 legacy; 104 binary and 27 multistate) analyzed with maximum likelihood under the MK model. Troglotayosicus was recovered as monophyletic and composed of two main clades. The morphological survey revealed that the ventral macrosetae of the leg telotarsi of the type species, Troglotayosicus vachoni Lourenço, 1981, are simple, subspiniform macrosetae, irregularly distributed, but not arranged into clusters nor forming elongated clusters of setae/spinules, as previously suggested. A distribution map and key to the identification of the species of Troglotayosicus are provided. Further research, incorporating molecular data, is needed to understand the evolution and biogeographical history of this enigmatic scorpion genus.

Reference:
Moreno-González JA, Luna-Sarmiento DA, Prendini L. Phylogeny of the Troglomorphic Scorpion Genus Troglotayosicus (Scorpiones: Troglotayosicidae) with Description of a New Species from Colombia. American Museum Novitates. 2024;2024(4011):1-39. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Troglotayosicidae

What's on the menu for a group of Brazilian scorpions?

 

It is generally stated that most scorpions are generalist prey on a wide diversity of animals (including other scorpions). In spite of this generalization and "common knowledge", there are few systematic studies on the diet composition of many scorpion species.

Dionisio-da-Silva and co-workers have recently published a study of the prey composition of scorpions from different environments in Brazil. A generalist diet and cases of cannibalism are reported.

Abstract:
The overall assumption that scorpions are generalist predators is often based on conspicuous information from the literature. Here, we compiled a list of prey consumption by scorpions from different environments in Brazil to produce a documentation of predations by this taxon. This list is based on observations made under natural conditions in Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, and Cerrado formations. We compiled 135 predation instances including 11 scorpion species from field work through 14 years. The observed diet composition of the scorpions was mainly based on cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, and other scorpions. Such data highlights the generalist diet and cannibalism of scorpions with many cannibalistic events among the records of intraguild predation. Overall, this study broadens the knowledge of the diet composition of Brazilian scorpions under natural conditions.

Reference:
Dionisio-da-Silva W, Foerster SIA, Gallao JE, Lira AFA. What's for dinner? Prey consumption by Neotropical scorpions across contrasting environments. J Arachnol. 2024;52:26-30. [Sunscription required for full text]

Three new species of Parabuthus from Somaliland

 

In part 30 of their ongoing series "Scorpions of the Horn of Africa", Frantisek Kovarik and co-workers describe three new species of Parabuthus Pocock, 1890 (Buthidae) from Somaliland. 

Parabuthus dorisae Kovarik, Lowe, Elmi & Stahlavsky, 2024

Parabuthus evae Kovarik, Lowe, Elmi & Stahlavsky, 2024

Parabuthus quincyae Kovarik, Lowe, Elmi & Stahlavsky, 2024

The true distribution of Parabuthus eritreaensis Kovarik, 2003 is discussed and a distribution map for all species in the Horn of Africa is included. 

Abstract:
A new record of an adult female of Parabuthus eritreaensis Kovařík, 2003 in Somaliland confirms true distribution of this species, already discussed in Kovařík et al. (2016: 19–21). Three new species are described from Somaliland, P. dorisae sp. n., P. evae sp. n., and P. quincyae sp. n.. The hemispermatophore of P. dorisae sp. n. is illustrated and described. In addition to the analyses of external morphology and hemispermatophore, we have provided descriptions of the karyotypes of P. dorisae sp. n. and P. quincyae sp. n. Despite the presence of multivalents (CVIII and CXIV), both species exhibit karyotypes with 2n=16 and chromosomes that gradually decrease in length, with the exception of the first chromosome, which is longer than the following chromosomes. A map of distribution of Parabuthus species in the Horn of Africa is included.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Lowe G, Elmi HSA, Stahlavsky F. Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XXX. Parabuthus (Buthidae) (Part III), with description of three new species from Somaliland and occurrence of Parabuthus eritreaensis Kovařík, 2003. Euscorpius. 2024(385):1-27. [Open access]

Family Buthidae

Cannibalism in the Brazilian scorpion Tityus metuendus

 

Scorpions are predators that catch a wide diversity of prey, including members of their own species. Jonas martins and co-workers have recently published an article describing several cases of cannibalism in the Brazilian species Tityus metuendus Pocock, 1987 (Buthidae).

Abstract:
Scorpions are an important predator group in the habitats where they live, due to their voracity. However, their predatory habits are not well recorded, particularly in Amazonian species. Here we report four intraspecific predation events involving Tityus metuendus Pocock, 1987. In all cases, larger individuals acted as predators of smaller ones. These are the first reports of cannibalism involving scorpions in the Brazilian Amazon. Our findings are important to allow a better understanding of  intraspecific interactions in tropical scorpion assemblages.

Reference:
Martins JG, Almeida MR, Procópio RE, Lira AF. Cannibalism in Tityus metuendus Pocock, 1897 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from the Brazilian Amazon. Revista Chilena de Entomología. 2024;50(1):57-61. [Open Access]